OTHER HONG KONGS

Yes, it’s the name of our home, but it’s also the name of …

… a Hollywood film from the 50s

Released by Paramount in 1952, Hong Kong is an adventure film starring 41-year-old actor (and future US President) Ronald Reagan, who plays an Indiana Jones-style character. The tagline of the film describes HK as “Port of a thousand dangers”.

… an asteroid

Discovered on 26 November 1978 at Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing, “3297 Hong Kong” is a main-belt asteroid located roughly between Jupiter and Mars. It orbits the sun every five years.

… an American indie rock band

Based in New Orleans and then Brooklyn, The Hong Kong had some success in the 2000s, including signing on the label of Ric Ocasek of The Cars. They’re described as having a Blondie vibe – judge for yourself by watching their 2006 single “Tongue Tied” on YouTube.

… a restaurant in Nairobi

In fact, the Kenyan capital has a restaurant called Hong Kong and another called Hong Kong Kitchen. Of course, there are eateries all around the world named after Hong Kong (for example, on the 24th floor of the Holiday Inn in Moscow). Not surprising, considering the culinary reputation of the place!

… an Australian TV show

The 26-part series Hong Kong aired in 1960-1961 and was set at the likely-sounding but fictitious address of “24 Peak Road”. It’s best known as the launching pad for Aussie actor Rod Taylor, who went on to star in 50 feature films, from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1961) to a cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009).